77 SUNSET STRIP – Lovely Lady, Pity Me - 1958
This is the 2nd episode of the 1958 to 1964 Private Eye series. The series ran for a total of 206 episodes. Series regulars were, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Roger Smith, Edd Byrnes and Jacqueline Beer.
In this one there is something rotten going on in the offices of the Detective agency. Peter Breck, an operative that the office sometimes uses, is doing a spot of blackmail. He has made a late night call to Jeanne Cooper. He has evidence on Cooper that the woman has been stepping out on her husband. Breck would like $2,000 to make the photos disappear.
A time is arranged and Cooper arrives at the offices early the next morning to make the payment. The scheme however hits a road bump when Zimbalist pays an early visit for some papers. He overhears Breck putting the screws to Cooper. He steps in and gives Breck a sound beating, then hands over the photos and negatives Breck was using. He tosses Breck out on his head and tells him to never return. Breck of course swears revenge.
Waiting in the office is pretty, Kathleen Crowley. Zimbalist asks if there is anything he could do for her. Crowley shakes her head and says, "Not now " then smiles, and leaves. Zimbalist follows her out and offers to buy her breakfast.
They share a coffee and have a talk. Crowley however refuses to tell the Detective her name, or why she was at the office. They arrange to meet that evening for drinks.
The two hook up several times over the next week and Zimbalist is quite taken with the woman. This happy series of meetings is interrupted by another visit to the office by Breck. He wants to pick up a few things he left behind during his rather forceful ejection from the premises.
Anyways, back to Miss Crowley. The two are having a nice candlelight dinner at her new apartment, which just happens to be 5 minutes away from Zimbalist's office. She spills a drink on herself and steps into her room to freshen up. This takes a good half hour. Zimbalist is on his seats edge by the time she returns to the table. Now Crowley is less than friendly and suggests Zimbalist leave. The man is not sure what is going on but, being a gentleman, leaves.
He returns to the office where he finds a rather un-needed surprise, the corpse of Peter Breck. Realizing that he will need an alibi, he returns to Crowley's apartment. Needless to say, the place is empty with no sign that anyone lived there.
When Zimbalist returns to the office, the place is crawling with the Police. Edd Byrnes, the valet at the eating establishment next door, spots him. He warns him off, find a place and hide. Byrnes will get hold of Zimbalist's partner, Roger Smith and send him to Zimbalist.
By this time, Zimbalist has figured he is being set up as a fall guy for Breck's murder. And the only person it could be is Miss Crowley. The problem is, who is she really? He has no idea of her real name or where she really lives.
Being the enterprising Detective, he backtracks through everything. He finally lucks out with a cab driver. The man had picked her up outside the Detective agency. The cab driver drops him off at a large mansion in the hills.
Zimbalist rings the door, and soon talks his way in past the butler. And who does he run into but Miss Crowley. She is less than amused to see the Detective. She pulls the man into the study for a talk. It seems that Miss Crowley had been another of Peter Breck's blackmail victims. When she had seen Zimbalist toss the bum out, she came up with a plan to eliminate the swine.
It seems that when Crowley had went to her room to clean up after spilling her drink. She had really stepped out to keep a meeting with Breck. She killed him and left him for Zimbalist to take the blame. She begs Zimbalist not to say anything about the matter. She offers cash, her husband is very wealthy. When that does not work, she pulls a revolver out of the desk.
At this time, Crowley's husband, John Dodsworth, steps into the room. He has been listening to the whole exchange. He has known all along about her playing around. He could ignore that, but murder, no, the Police have been summoned.
Zimbalist knocks the gun from her hand before she can use the thing on Dodsworth or himself.
This one is a pretty enjoyable romp of an episode, with plenty of red herrings thrown in throughout.
This is the 2nd episode of the 1958 to 1964 Private Eye series. The series ran for a total of 206 episodes. Series regulars were, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Roger Smith, Edd Byrnes and Jacqueline Beer.
In this one there is something rotten going on in the offices of the Detective agency. Peter Breck, an operative that the office sometimes uses, is doing a spot of blackmail. He has made a late night call to Jeanne Cooper. He has evidence on Cooper that the woman has been stepping out on her husband. Breck would like $2,000 to make the photos disappear.
A time is arranged and Cooper arrives at the offices early the next morning to make the payment. The scheme however hits a road bump when Zimbalist pays an early visit for some papers. He overhears Breck putting the screws to Cooper. He steps in and gives Breck a sound beating, then hands over the photos and negatives Breck was using. He tosses Breck out on his head and tells him to never return. Breck of course swears revenge.
Waiting in the office is pretty, Kathleen Crowley. Zimbalist asks if there is anything he could do for her. Crowley shakes her head and says, "Not now " then smiles, and leaves. Zimbalist follows her out and offers to buy her breakfast.
They share a coffee and have a talk. Crowley however refuses to tell the Detective her name, or why she was at the office. They arrange to meet that evening for drinks.
The two hook up several times over the next week and Zimbalist is quite taken with the woman. This happy series of meetings is interrupted by another visit to the office by Breck. He wants to pick up a few things he left behind during his rather forceful ejection from the premises.
Anyways, back to Miss Crowley. The two are having a nice candlelight dinner at her new apartment, which just happens to be 5 minutes away from Zimbalist's office. She spills a drink on herself and steps into her room to freshen up. This takes a good half hour. Zimbalist is on his seats edge by the time she returns to the table. Now Crowley is less than friendly and suggests Zimbalist leave. The man is not sure what is going on but, being a gentleman, leaves.
He returns to the office where he finds a rather un-needed surprise, the corpse of Peter Breck. Realizing that he will need an alibi, he returns to Crowley's apartment. Needless to say, the place is empty with no sign that anyone lived there.
When Zimbalist returns to the office, the place is crawling with the Police. Edd Byrnes, the valet at the eating establishment next door, spots him. He warns him off, find a place and hide. Byrnes will get hold of Zimbalist's partner, Roger Smith and send him to Zimbalist.
By this time, Zimbalist has figured he is being set up as a fall guy for Breck's murder. And the only person it could be is Miss Crowley. The problem is, who is she really? He has no idea of her real name or where she really lives.
Being the enterprising Detective, he backtracks through everything. He finally lucks out with a cab driver. The man had picked her up outside the Detective agency. The cab driver drops him off at a large mansion in the hills.
Zimbalist rings the door, and soon talks his way in past the butler. And who does he run into but Miss Crowley. She is less than amused to see the Detective. She pulls the man into the study for a talk. It seems that Miss Crowley had been another of Peter Breck's blackmail victims. When she had seen Zimbalist toss the bum out, she came up with a plan to eliminate the swine.
It seems that when Crowley had went to her room to clean up after spilling her drink. She had really stepped out to keep a meeting with Breck. She killed him and left him for Zimbalist to take the blame. She begs Zimbalist not to say anything about the matter. She offers cash, her husband is very wealthy. When that does not work, she pulls a revolver out of the desk.
At this time, Crowley's husband, John Dodsworth, steps into the room. He has been listening to the whole exchange. He has known all along about her playing around. He could ignore that, but murder, no, the Police have been summoned.
Zimbalist knocks the gun from her hand before she can use the thing on Dodsworth or himself.
This one is a pretty enjoyable romp of an episode, with plenty of red herrings thrown in throughout.
